Thousands Protest Anti-Coronavirus Restrictions in Germany

Thousands Protest Anti-Coronavirus Restrictions in Germany
People gather during a protest against the government's restrictions, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Konstanz, Germany, on Oct. 4, 2020. (Arnd Wiegmann/Reuters)
Reuters
10/4/2020
Updated:
10/4/2020

BERLIN—Thousands of demonstrators protested against coronavirus restrictions in Konstanz, southern Germany, over the weekend, police said on Sunday.

Thousands of counter-demonstrators also turned out to show support for the government’s measures while also protesting against supporters in the other group, police said.

A man displays a poster reading: "Masks are child abuse" during a protest against the government's restrictions, in Konstanz, Germany, on Oct. 4, 2020. (Arnd Wiegmann/Reuters)
A man displays a poster reading: "Masks are child abuse" during a protest against the government's restrictions, in Konstanz, Germany, on Oct. 4, 2020. (Arnd Wiegmann/Reuters)

Overall, police counted between 10,500 and 11,000 people taking part in the different demonstrations on Saturday and the two-day protests continued on Sunday with sunny weather likely to draw in further participants, a police spokesman said.

“So far, the situation is calm,” the police spokesman added.

Germany so far has managed the COVID-19 pandemic relatively well by keeping infections and deaths low compared to other European countries during the first wave in spring.

But infection numbers are rising again and authorities are mulling further restrictions which could limit public life and slow down the economic recovery after Germany suffered its worst recession on record in the first half of the year.

By Michael Nienaber